Ducks take Civil War baseball game

EUGENE, Ore. – Jimmie Sherfy earned his 13th save of the season, keeping the game-tying run at second in the top of the ninth as the No. 9 Ducks defeated No. 23 Oregon State 3-2 on Tuesday night at PK Park.

With the win, the Ducks (35-14) even the season series with the Beavers (30-16) as the teams will end the regular season with a three-game Pac-12 series in Corvallis, May 25-27.

Oregon did a little two-out damage in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead as Ryon Healy started the rally with a triple off the wall in center field. He scored from third as Brett Thomas drove his team-leading 12th double down the first base line. The inning continued as Kyle Garlick was walked, and a double steal put both runners in position to score on Ryan Hambright’s two-run single as the Ducks led 3-0 after the first.

After the first inning, the 2,726 fans in attendance watched six consecutive innings of shutout baseball until Oregon State broke through with two runs in the top of the eighth.

The Beavers put two runs on the board as reliever Jordan Spencer gave up back-to-back singles before Sherfy was brought out in relief. A sacrifice moved the runners to second and third, and Danny Hayes’ pinch-hit sacrifice fly scored OSU’s first run of the game. Ryan Barnes then drove a shallow RBI single into center allowing Jake Rodriguez to score as OSU closed 3-2.

In the ninth, Sherfy issued walks to Ryan Dunn and Kavin Keyes, putting runners at first and second with two outs, but his strikeout of Jake Rodriguez thwarted a Beaver comeback.

Sherfy earned his league-leading 13th save of the season tossing two shutout innings and striking out three.

In the first start of his career, Tommy Thorpe tossed four shutout innings – a new career high – and allowed just one hit while issuing one walk and matching a career best with three strikeouts. He retired the final eight batters he faced.

Joey Housey (3-0) earned the win in relief of Thorpe after tossing two shutout innings on one hit while striking out one. Spencer allowed two runs on two hits and one walk in his one inning of relief.

In the loss, Oregon State starter Taylor Starr (4-2) surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks in two and 2/3 innings of work.

Oregon returns to action at 2 p.m., Saturday to host a three-game series against USC.